Display holder



May 22, 1962 J. w. EHRLER 3,035,693

DISPLAY HOLDER Filed sept. 22, 1960 United States Patent Office Patented May 22, 1562 3,035,693 DISPLAY HOLDER John W. Ehrler, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Bentzinger Bros., Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 57,662 Claims. (Cl. 2136-39) This invention relates to display holders and more particularly to a display holder for brushes such as paint brushes and the like.

It has been common practice to display brushes, such as paint brushes, with their bristles exposed so as to enable prospective purchasers to inspect the quality of the bristles. In order to avoid damage occasioned by extensive handling of brushes so displayed, it has sometimes been the practice to completely cover the bristles as a protective measure. However, this is generally unsatisfactory since many prospective purchasers are desirous of inspecting the quality of the bristles, as by feeling them, prior to making a purchase. The present invention provides a novel display holder for brushes in which the bristles are completely and effectively covered while the brush is on display and yet can be readily exposed for inspection by the customer and then conveniently returned to the covered condition.

Among the several objects of the invention may thus be noted the provision of a novel display holder for brushes which provides adequate covering for the bristles of a brush on display and yet permits the bristles to be readily exposed for inspection; the provision of a holder in which the bristles of a brush held therein are at all times visible; the provision of a holder of this character so constructed as to cover the bristles of a brush held therein except during periods of inspection; the provision of such a holder which is of simple and economical construction; the provision of a brush package and display device including such a holder and a brush held therein; and the provision of a holder of the class described in which the brush automatically drops into a position in which the bristles may be directly and manually inspected when the holder is moved from a normal display position. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed ont hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. l is a front elevation illustrating one embodiment of a display holder of the present invention;

FlG. 2 is a rear elevation of the holder of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the holder of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. l and illustrating a holder of the invention mounted on a pin for display purposes;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 5--5 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevation similar to FIG. l but showing the brush and cover in a lowered position.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, a display holder of the present invention, designated 1 in its entirety, is shown to comprise a generally rectangular backing member 3 having a front wall 5 and a back wall 7. Backing member 3 may be made of any suitable material, but preferably consists of a cardboard strip folded on a Uansverse fold line to provide the front and back walls 5 and 7. As shown, front wall 5 has an opening 9 therein extending upward from the lower end 11 of the backing member. This opening may be die cut from the front wall 5 to leave side strips 13 on either side of the opening constituted by integral portions of the front wall 5. The side strips 13 are integrally joined to the back wall 7 at the lower end 11 of the backing member 3 by folds 15 but are otherwise free of back wall 7. The back wall 7 extends up from the lower end 11 of the backing member 3 to a point just beyond the top of opening 9 so as to overlie opening 9 throughout its entire area and is adhesively secured to the front wall 5 at its upper edge as indicated at 16. A more or less U-shaped notch 17 is cut ont of the upper end of the front wall 5 of the backing member.

At 19 is indicated a cover for the ferrule 21 and bristles 23 of a brush 25. The brush 25 is a conventional brush having a handle 27 with a hole 29 adjacent the upper end thereof in addition to the ferrule and bristles. Cover 19 is preferably constituted by a so-called transparent plastic bubble or blister composed, for example, of acetate butyrate or some similar material and is formed to have side walls 31 and a front wall 33. Side walls 31 are spaced apart a distance such as to fit within opening 9 in the front wall 5 of backing member 3. The front wall 33 of the cover 19 is integrally joined to the side walls 31 and overiies the ferrule 21 and bristles 23 of brush 25. As shown, cover 19 is formed to iit the contours of ferrule 21 and bristles 23 of the brush 25, and the lower portion of the front wall 33 of the cover 19 converges toward the backing member 3 so as to closely overlie the bristles 23 and protectively cover them (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The side walls 31 of cover 19 are formed with outwardly extending wings or flanges 35 having relatively narrow portions 37 at the lower ends of the side walls and flaring out into wider portions 39 at the upper ends of the side walls 31. These flanges 35 are adapted to be slidably received between side strips 13 of the front wall 5 and the back wall 7.

The brush package and display device of the invention including the backing member 3, cover 19 and brush 25 is assembled by first placing the cover over the ferrule 21 and bristles 23 of a brush 25 so that side walls 31 of the cover engage the sides of the ferrule and bristles and the front wall 33 of the cover overlies the front face of the ferrule and bristles, and then inserting flanges 35 between side strips 13 of the front wall 5 and the back wall 7 so that the Wider portions 39 of these flanges are positioned at the upper end of the opening 9. In this `assembled condition, the brush 25 and cover 19 are in a raised position (see FIG. l) in which notch 17 in the front wall 5 of backing member 3 registers with hole 29 in the handle 27 of brush 25. The assembled unit may then be suspended from a pin 41 extending from a display panel or board (not shown) with the pin being received in notch 17 in hole 29 of the handle 27 of the brush to retain the unit on the pin. In this normal hang-up display position, it will be noted that cover 19 completely and protectively covers the ferrule 21 and bristles 23 of the brush 25 without affecting the visibility of these portions of the brush.

When a prospective purchaser, after viewing the brush so displayed, is desirous of further inspecting the brush as by feeling the bristles, the package may be removed from the pin 41 and held in a vertical position whereby the brush 25 and cover 19 automatically slide downward relative to the backing member 3 until the lower edges of portions 39 of flanges 35 of the cover 19 engage folds 15 at the lower end of the backing member 3. In this lowered position (see FIG. 6) the brush 25 and cover 19 are retained in the holder 1 by the engagement of portions 39 of flanges 35 with folds 15 and the ends 43 of the bristles 23 are exposed for inspection as is the entire back side of the bristles. This permits the customer to determine the quality of the exposed bristles to his satisfaction by manual inspection. In returning the package to the display rack, the brush 25 and cover 19 are raised in an upward direction until notch 17 and hole 29 again register whereupon the unit can be replaced on pin 41. The novel construction of the holder of the invention thus 3 insures that the ferrule 21 and bristles 23 of the brush 215 are completely covered by cover 19 except during periods of inspection when the holder 1 is removed from the display rack as described.

It will be understood that the cover i9 may be formed of greater length so that the ends of the bristles are not exposed when the cover is in the lowered position (illustrated in FIG. 6) in which case inspection is accomplished by feeling the back side of the bristles rather than the ends of the bristles as in the construction shown in FIGS. l-6.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the aboveV description or shown in the accompanying drawings shdl be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A display holder for a brush having a handle, ferrule and bristles comprising :a backing member having a front wall and a back wall, the lfront wall having an opening extending upward from the lower end thereof, the portions of said `front wall alongside said opening being joined to the back wall at said lower end and being free of the back Wall above said lower end, a cover for lthe ferrule and bristles of the brush having side walls spaced apart a distance such as to t within said opening and a front wall adapted to overlie the ferrule and bristles of a brush on the backing member, said side walls having outwardly extending wings at their upper ends slidably received between said portions of the front Wall and the back wall, said cover being open at its rear and being adapted to move between a raised position wherein the upper end of the cover is at the upper end of said opening and in which the bristles of a brush are not exposed for inspection and a lowered position wherein said wings engage the juncture of said portions of the front wall and the back wall at the lower end of the backing member and in which the bristles of a brush are exposed for inspection.

2. A display holderA as set forth in claim l wherein th portions of the front wall of said backing member alongside said opening are joined to the -back wall at folds at the lower end of the backing member.

3. A display holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein the back wall of said backing member extends up at least past the top of the opening in the front wall.

4. A display holder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said cover is constituted by a transparent plastic bubble.

5. A brush package and display device comprising a backing member having a front wall and a back wall, the front -wall having an opening extending upward from the lower end of the backing member and having portions alongside said opening which are joined to the back wall at the lower end of the backing member and free of the back wall above said lower end, a cover having side walls spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the width of said opening and adapted to cover the sides of the ferrule 4 and bristles of a brush and a front wall adapted to overlie the ferrule and bristles, said side walls having outwardly extending anges at their `upper ends received between said portions of the front wall and the back wall and being slidable up and down therein for sliding movement oi the `cover relative to the backing member between a raised position wherein the upper end of the cover is at the upper end of said opening and a lowered position determined 'by engagement of the lower edges of said anges with the juncture of said portions of the front wall and the back wall at the lower end of the backing member, and a brush having a ferrule and bristles received in said cover and slidable therewith.

6. A brush package and display device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the portions of said front wall alongside said openings lare joined to the back wall at folds at the lower end of the backing member.

7. A brush package and display device -as set forth in claim 6 wherein the back wall extends up at least past the top of the opening in the front wall.

8. A brush package and display device as set forth in claim 7 wherein the portion of the front wall of the cover which overlies the bristles of said brush converges toward the backing member so as closely to overlie said bristles.

9. A brush package and display device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cover is constituted by a transparent plastic ibubble.

l0. A brush package and display device comprising a backing member having a front wall and a back wall, the front wall having an opening extending upward from the lower end of lthe backing member and having portions alongside said opening which are joined to the back wall at the lower end of the backing member and free of the back Wall above said lower end, said front wall having a notch at its upper end, `a cover having side walls spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the width of said opening and adapted to cover the sides of the ferrule and bristles of a brush and a front w-all adapted to overlie the ferrule and bristles, said side walls having outwardly extending flanges at their upper ends received between said portions of the front wall and the back wall and being slidable up and down Itherein for sliding movement of the cover relative to the backing member between a raised position wherein the upper end of the cover is at the upper end of said opening and a lowered position determined by engagement of the lower edges of said anges with the juncture of said portions of the front wall and the back wall at the lower end of the backing member, and a brush having a handle, ferrule and bristles, said ferrule and bristles being received in said cover and being slidable therewith, said handle having a hole therein registering with the notch at the upper end of the front wall when the cover and brush `are in said raised position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,305,547 Myers Dec. 15, 1942 

